COLUMBUS, Ohio — Starting this week, distracted driving will be a primary traffic offense in Ohio, coinciding with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Ohio State Highway Patrol urges motorists to focus on the road while driving. Governor Mike DeWine stated that distracted driving is as dangerous as driving drunk and this new law will save lives and prevent crashes.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, distracted driving caused 62,324 crashes with 21,652 injuries and 209 fatalities since 2018. Drivers are reluctant to admit to distracted driving, so these numbers are believed to be higher.
“Keep your focus on the road,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol Superintendent. “Every time you take your eyes off the road, you’re putting the lives of everyone on the road at risk.”
Distractions that take a driver’s focus off the road can be visual, manual, or cognitive. Texting while driving is a prime example that takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, equivalent to driving the length of a football field when traveling at 55 mph.
Ohio’s new distracted driving laws allow law enforcement officers to pull over drivers if they witness illegal use of an electronic communications device. Exceptions exist for emergency calls. Officers will warn drivers until early October when they will issue citations. Resources for drivers can be found at PhonesDown.Ohio.gov, including an educational video.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol urges drivers to focus on driving and avoid any activity that distracts them.
